Low cost modular furniture is desired by both consumer and retailer alike. The furniture must be lightweight yet sturdy, and easy to produce. Such modules should be constructed so that they are easy to ship, thus reducing transportation costs. In addition, consumers desire furniture which would allow them to easily replace or recover modules which have become worn, stained or have gone out of style, without great cost or inconvenience. There is also a market for furniture that may be converted from a conventional sofa to a sleeper sofa easily and quickly.
Modular furniture is known in the art but has not been a commercial success. U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,380, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a modular furniture system that allows the furniture unit to be disassembled, and even the covering changed. However, the process required to effect these changes is time consuming and possibly confusing to a homeowner who is not handy with tools. In a hotel or motel setting, where furniture modules would be changed relatively frequently, this would make routine furniture maintenance more expensive.
Further, assembly of conventional modular furniture requires that brackets be lined up and held in place while bolts are installed, making it difficult for an individual to complete the task without the assistance of an additional person. The prior art designs lack the ability to have the modules held in alignment with the frame so that the assembler has both hands free to operate the bolt without having to realign the module.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved system of modular furniture that may be assembled quickly and easily by an individual.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved system of modular furniture with self-aligning brackets that may be assembled without requiring the use of tools.
It is still another object of this invention to provide improved modular furniture that may be shipped economically because the component parts can be packed flat and compactly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a system of modular furniture which is easily convertible between a sofa and a sleeper.
The above-listed objects are met or exceeded by the present invention, which features a self-aligning fastener assembly with a system of modular furniture that can be assembled and disassembled by an individual without the use of tools.
More specifically, the present invention provides an easily assembled and disassembled modular furniture system. Each unit or article of furniture includes a base frame having a front member, two side members, and a rear member. A plurality of furniture modules include arm modules, a backrest module and one of a spring nest module and a sleeper module mounted to the frame. The modules are attached to the frame and/or each other with a plurality of fastener assemblies, each fastener assembly including two portions: a stud member and an aligning receptacle bracket. One of the portions, either the stud member or the aligning receptacle bracket, are secured to opposing locations of the base frame and at least one of the modules. The modules may be positioned upon the frame by engaging the aligning receptacle brackets upon the corresponding stud members without the use of tools.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that this assembly system allows an individual to easily mount the modules onto the frame. The self-aligning receptacle bracket guides the module into the correct position to receive the stud member. The head of the stud member holds the aligning receptacle bracket in place so that it does not come apart while the remainder of the furniture unit is assembled. With the unit held in alignment with the fastener assemblies, the individual can easily complete the assembly of the furniture by insertion of a few thumbscrews and fastener clips. If desired, conventional threaded fasteners may also be employed and either hand or tool tightened.
Furniture incorporating the present system is also economical and easy to ship because the frame and modules will pack into a smaller space than an assembled unit. The design of the present invention does not require hardware or assemblies that protrude from the unit, making it difficult to pack the modules tightly for shipping. The modules can also be shipped separately, for use as replacement parts if the arms or back of a piece of furniture become stained or damaged.